Nintendo files a patent for a new handheld with vibration

With the NX looming, the future of Nintendo is still very much up in the air. And the discovery of a new handheld patent is doing little to dampen fan speculation. The patent is for a new handheld device with possibly a touch screen and vibration feedback.

Spotted by Twitter user ZhugeEx, Nintendo filed the patent application late last month with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The filing, for a “hand-held information processing apparatus,” includes description and multiple pictures of the device. Most of the application concerns the connection between speakers and the vibrating motor, with the vibration working in proportion to the sound output.

While many of the pictures show a touchscreen, even with button layouts on the screen for gameplay, weapons selection, and text input, the patent also includes a look at a piece of hardware with the standard Nintendo buttons to either side of the screen.

Since this is only a patent and not an official announcement of any kind, it is worth noting it’s possible nothing will come of it. Companies often use patents to reserve ideas they may or may not pursue in the future. That said, patent applications can also be filed soon before a new piece of technology is revealed, ensuring a company is covered legally as soon as it is.

Rumors have been circulating non-stop about the next Nintendo console. They even include things like the new console possibly being cartridge-based, instead of using discs like the rest of the industry. As we learn more about Nintendo’s plans for the future, keep checking back right here on Gamespresso.

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Sean is a simple man who enjoys a good game, a good story, and the chance to talk about both. That said, he also honestly believes video games have the potential to be the greatest pinnacle of storytelling ever, so there's that... Follow him on Twitter @SeanTimmothy